Friday, May 13, 2011

AIKEN, S.C. --- An Aiken mother and her oldest son are both dead after a house fire overnight. A younger son is being treated at the Joseph M. Still Burn Center.

Joy Thomas, 35, and her 7-year-old son, Jesse Tracey III, both died at Aiken Regional Medical Center.

Aiken County Coroner Tim Carlton says Jesse passed away at 3 a.m., almost immediately after arriving to the hospital. His mother died around 3:20 a.m. An autopsy found that the two passed away due to smoke inhalation, and their deaths have been ruled accidental.

Thomas' 5-year-old son, Joey Tracey, was airlifted from Aiken Regional to the burn center at Doctor's Hospital. He was listed in serious condition this afternoon.

Aiken Public Safety officers were called to the house fire around 2:25 am on the 900 block of Hampton Avenue. That's near Laurens Street. Officers also requested crowd control from Aiken County deputies.

Crews found Joy Thomas and her two sons unresponsive in the front doorway of the home, possibly trying to escape. EMS performed CPR at the scene on all three victims.

Firefighters were able to contain the fire to one room, but there was heavy smoke and heat damage throughout the home.

The fire was ruled accidental due to an overload on a power strip.